In League of Legends, style matters. Whether you’re showing off a flashy ultimate with a prestige skin or customizing your champion with chromas and emotes, cosmetics are a core part of the game’s identity. But unlocking these items usually requires one vital currency: Orange Essence.
So how do you get Orange Essence in League of Legends, and how can you get more of it efficiently? Here’s a complete breakdown for players looking to build out their collections — without breaking the bank.
What Is Orange Essence?
Orange Essence (OE) is the primary crafting currency used to unlock cosmetic content through the Loot system in League of Legends. It’s used to permanently unlock skins, ward skins, emotes, and sometimes even event-exclusive items.
Unlike Blue Essence, which is used for champions, Orange Essence is purely for aesthetic content.
How to Get Orange Essence
There are several ways to earn Orange Essence in the game — some faster than others:
1. Disenchanting Skin Shards
This is the main method of earning Orange Essence. When you receive a skin shard through loot (like Hextech Chests or Event Capsules), you can either:
- Upgrade it into a permanent skin (using OE), or
- Disenchant it into Orange Essence.
The amount of OE you get depends on the value and tier of the skin:
- Epic Skin Shard: ~270 OE
- Legendary Skin Shard: ~364 OE
- Mythic or Ultimate Skin Shard: Even more (can go over 500 OE)
Disenchanting lower-tier skins you don’t care for is a smart way to build up your OE bank for that one skin you really want to upgrade.
2. Opening Hextech Chests & Masterwork Chests
These chests can contain:
- Skin shards
- Full skin permanents
- Orange Essence directly
Hextech Chests are earned through high in-game performance (S grades) or bought in the store. Masterwork Chests are premium loot items, often bundled with RP or event passes.
3. Event Capsules and Milestone Rewards
Participating in seasonal events like the Lunar Revel, Worlds, or Sentinels of Light can earn you capsules that contain skin shards and sometimes raw Orange Essence.
If you buy an Event Pass, you can complete missions and milestone levels that reward OE directly — often in amounts of 250, 500, or even more per stage.
4. Disenchanting Ward Skins and Emotes
Got an emote or ward skin shard you’ll never use? Disenchant them for a smaller OE return:
- Ward skin shard: ~150 OE
- Emote shard: ~50 OE
While not as lucrative as skin shards, they add up over time.
Tips for Farming Orange Essence
- Don’t upgrade every skin shard immediately. Save OE for skins you truly love or use regularly.
- Reroll low-value shards (three at a time) if you’re feeling lucky — sometimes this grants high-tier permanents.
- Avoid disenchanting prestige or mythic shards. These can be more valuable in future updates or exchanges.
- Buy event passes strategically. They’re the most efficient paid way to farm OE long-term.
Is There a Way to Buy Orange Essence?
Not directly. Riot does not sell Orange Essence for RP, likely to keep loot crafting tied to gameplay progression. You can, however, buy chests, passes, and capsules that yield skin shards — which can be disenchanted for OE.
Final Thoughts
Orange Essence is the key to turning random loot into personalized rewards. Whether you’re grinding free chests or going all-in with an event pass, learning how to maximize your OE income helps you unlock the skins that matter most — without relying on pure luck.
So before you reroll or upgrade that next shard, take a moment to ask: Is it worth the Essence?
Written by:
Christian